Love On A Learning Curve
by YoursAlways
Summary: Kid receives some shocking news on his birthday, and it's about to change his life. How can you learn to love someone when you're also trying to juggle demons, students, running an academy, and planning a wedding?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor Soul Eater and make no money from these writings.

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Love On A Learning Curve

Chapter One

Music played and friends laughed as Kid stared blissfully at the cake before him. The large sheet cake had been decorated in perfect symmetry. And despite there being an odd number of candles on the confection, the twenty-five candles were also perfectly placed. His friends knew him so well, and he was sure that they had gone through a lot of trouble to cater to his OCD to make his birthday perfect. "Thank you, all of you," he said with a smile as he looked around the room. Since his father's passing, his friends had become his family, and he loved them all dearly.

"C'mon, Kid," Patty cheered on from where she and her sister stood behind their meister. "Blow out the candles!"

"Yeah, we're ready to eat," Liz agreed with a smile.

Taking a deep breath, Kid blew out the candles on his birthday cake and smiled when he heard his friends cheer. Even after all of their years together, he still enjoyed their get-togethers. And that was saying something considering just how often they had these parties. There was a party for every birthday and holiday and many more in between "just because."

Liz handed Kid a knife knowing that he would want to cut the cake himself to make sure that all of the slices were perfect. She normally would have urged him on to hurry and not worry about how straight the slices were, but it was his birthday and she was willing to cut him a little slack.

"What kind of cake is it?" Black Star asked as he leaned across the table in attempt to catch a glimpse.

"Would you just sit down?" Maka spoke up as she grabbed the blue-haired man by the back of his shirt and yanked him backwards into his seat. "You need to learn some table manners."

"I've tried," Tsubaki sighed. "He does just fine when we visit my parents."

"Why should I worry about manners around you guys?" Black Star scoffed as he crossed his arms across his chest and scowled lightly at Maka. Moving his hands behind his head and kicking his chair back to balance on the back legs, he added, "There's nobody here I'm trying to impress."

Maka subtly slid one of her hands from the table to give Black Star's chair a little push. With a startled cry and flailing arms, Black Star crashed to the floor and landed on his back with an grunt. "Damn it, Maka!" He yelled as he rolled out of the downed seat and stood to fix it. "What was that for?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Maka responded as she rolled her eyes upwards to glance at the ceiling innocently.

Black Star grumbled a little more as he plopped back down in his seat, but he made sure to keep all four legs on the ground this time.

"Finished!" Kid declared with a flourish as he finished cutting the cake into perfectly equal slices. "Now who wants what?"

Everyone began picking out their pieces and Kid passed out the plates and forks. Looking to the man sitting across from Maka, Kid asked in a gentle tone, "Do you like chocolate cake, Crona?"

Crona looked up from the table and nodded with a soft murmur of "yes." After the battle on the moon that had taken place almost ten years prior, none of them had ever expected to see Crona again. He had sacrificed himself to seal away the kishin Asura. But then, one day only a little more than a year ago when Maka had been visiting the gravesite set up in Crona's memory, the pink-haired man had fallen from the sky. It was very likely that if it wasn't for the black blood that made his body near indestructible, he wouldn't have survived the fall. And that's not to say that he was without injury. A few broken bones seemed a small price to pay, though.

When he had finally woken up after several weeks in the hospital, he said that he didn't remember anything after he had left them. Maka had watched his soul and confirmed that he wasn't lying. He truly didn't remember his betrayal or their battle or his sacrifice. And they, his friends, were content to let things stay that way.

Kid handed Crona a plate of cake and smiled at the man in an attempt to put him at ease. His body had continued to age while on the moon, and while he was still incredibly lanky, he was easily the tallest of the group standing at six-three. He couldn't be talked into cutting his hair, but Maka had convinced him into pulling it back into a ponytail. He still wore several strands down in his face, though. Kid suspected that it was a defense mechanism, like a wall that he could hide behind.

As everyone ate and joked around the large table of Kid's dining room, the mansion's doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Kid said as he stood and excused himself from the group. When he opened the front doors, he was greeted by a small group of people that he knew well. "I'm glad that you could all make it," he greeted them as he stepped aside to allow them inside.

"We wouldn't miss it," Spirit grinned as he shook Kid's hand. The death scythe had started to get a few streaks of gray in his crimson hair in recent years. It was one of those things that everyone noticed but nobody mentioned. Even though Soul was Kid's official death scythe in the event of an emergency, Spirit had stayed on in an advisory role, and Kid couldn't have been more grateful. There was a lot that his father hadn't been able to teach him before he'd died, but Spirit had been able to fill some of that void.

"Marie, Dr. Stein," Kid greeted as the couple also entered his home. Both of them had stayed on as teachers at the academy, but neither looked much older than how he remembered them from his teen years. There was no telling if Stein was going gray yet or what his experiments had done to his body over the years. As for Marie, her only signs of the years were a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes. She was the envy of many other women at the academy. "And hello to you, Greta," Kid said to the young girl who was hiding behind her mother's legs.

It hadn't been terribly surprising when Marie and Stein had announced that they were expecting, though more than a few people were worried about what kind of father Stein would be. Even the doctor himself had fretted over his impending fatherhood. But when a baby girl with light gray hair and green eyes was born, all concerns were forgotten as the man practically melted. At ten years old, Greta was the spitting image of her father though thankfully without the patchwork of scars. But she was shy and rarely spoke directly to Kid. Marie told him once that Greta had admitted that his yellow eyes made her nervous. He'd been surprised, but after he thought about it he decided that he really couldn't blame her.

"Happy birthday, Kid," Marie said as she gave him a warm hug. "Is everyone else already here?" She asked as she heard laughter coming from down a hall.

"Yes, we just cut the cake," he answered as he directed the quartet towards the dining room. "Would you like some cake, Greta?"

Greta blinked at him before her fists tightened in Marie's skirt and she nodded her head twice.

"Soul's in the dining room," Marie spoke down to her daughter in a knowing voice. She watched as the girl's eyes grew wide and pink rose to her cheeks. It was only seconds later that Greta was off like a shot, likely to climb into her favorite uncle's lap and steal his cake.

It was no secret that the girl had a small crush, but it was an attraction that had baffled everyone. She'd clung to Soul since she was an infant. While the pianist-turned-weapon had been awkward at best in dealing with her when she was small, he was getting better. Everyone had their own theories as to why Greta was so drawn to him. Some thought it was the similarity in their hair, others thought it was because he was the only one of them who really hadn't wanted anything to do with her as a baby, but Marie, being the wise mother that she was, suspected that it was because Soul was one of the most laid back in the group. He was quiet like she was but had a confidence in it that Greta admired.

"I'll go make sure she isn't torturing Soul too much," Marie chuckled as she looked at Stein and Spirit pointedly. "You guys take your time."

Kid's brow furrowed as he frowned at Marie's words. Looking to the two men that had taught him how to run his father's academy, he questioned, "What did she mean?"

Spirit sighed as he pushed a hand through his hair. "Let's have a seat," he suggested as he motioned to the couches nearby. "There's something that we need to talk to you about."

The way Spirit seemed to be skirting the issue made something in Kid's stomach tighten, but he took a seat anyway and waited for either Spirit or Stein to pick up the conversation. When they were all seated, Kid on one couch and Stein and Spirit on the one opposite, the older men looked at each other before looking back to Kid. Spirit reached into his coat pocket and withdrew an envelope. He placed the envelope on the coffee table between them and slid it across the smooth surface.

"What's this?" Kid asked as he reached out and picked up the letter only to see that it was addressed to him and in his father's handwriting. He looked up to Spirit immediately for an explanation.

"As light and even silly as your father could act, he was incredibly smart man who kept many contingency plans," Spirit began to explain. "He always knew that there was a possibility that he wouldn't be here for your twenty-fifth birthday. That's what the letter is. He instructed me to deliver that to you today if he wasn't here and a few other criteria were met."

"Criteria?" Kid questioned in utter confusion as he began to neatly open the envelope. "What is all of this about?" He asked more to the the air than to anyone in particular. Removing the letter, he unfolded it and felt a wave of nostalgia hit him as he scanned over the previous Lord Death's neat cursive. He brought his eyes back up to the top of the page and began to read:

_Hey Kiddo,_

_Happy birthday! We both know what it means if you're reading this, but today is a day for you to be happy so let's not think on it too much. I do wish that I could be there to talk to you in person about this, though._

_Spirit is under orders to deliver this letter to you on your twenty-fifth birthday for a very important reason. Your powers will be hitting their peak soon. When that happens, you'll more-or-less cease to age, at least for a very long time. Reapers live very long lives, Kid. Because of that, I don't want you to be alone for much of it like I was._

_Aside from you receiving this letter on this particular birthday, Spirit was also instructed to only deliver it if you weren't in a serious relationship. I know, you probably don't want to talk about these things with your old dad, but these things are important. Did we ever have "the talk?" I can't remember. Drat. While I hope you're at least aware of the basics, ask Spirit if you have any questions. I'm sure he can explain things, that philanderer._

Kid paused in his reading to run a hand down his face in an effort to dispel the heat rising to his cheeks. Glancing up at Spirit and Stein as they watched him quietly, he cleared his throat and dropped his eyes to continue reading.

_I suppose I'll just come out with it. Some time ago, I met a young woman. She's a very charming girl. After you were born and I realized what life would be like for you, I contacted her guardian and arranged a marriage contract. For a long time I wondered if I did the right thing. You were a baby, after all. I had no idea what kind of man you would be. But as you grew, I became more convinced that I did the right thing. I think this girl would be good for you Kid. The Thompson sisters have done wonders to balance out some of your…quirks, but I believe that this woman will be able to do even more for you._

_Know that I would never force anything like this on you. I don't want you to be unhappy. All I ask is that you meet her. If you decide against the marriage or have your heart set on someone else, you have the option of terminating the contract._

_Spirit has all of the necessary contact information. Just let him know whether or not you're willing to meet the young lady, and he'll take care of the arrangements._

_I know that this must be a shock, but I do hope that you'll meet with her. I don't want to pull the parental guilt-trip on you, but think of it as your dear old dad's last wish._

_Happy birthday, Kid. I don't think I ever said it enough, but I do love you. Have a great life! I know you'll be a great Death._

_-Lord Death (Dad)_

Kid lowered the letter to his lap and sank back into the couch to think about everything that he'd just read. He was betrothed. He was _betrothed_. Part of him wanted to feel betrayed. Who even practiced arranged marriages anymore? With the exception of a few cultures, the answer was nobody! Even among cultures where it had once been the norm, the number of arranged marriages were dropping all the time. But despite the part of him that wanted to be indignant and irritated, another part of him understood where his father was coming from. He'd never shown much interest in dating while his father was alive, and he hadn't shown much more after the man died. He respected his father and his opinions. If he thought this woman was such a good match, didn't he owe it to him to at least meet her?

"Kid?" Spirit asked softly. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Kid answered as he skimmed over the letter one more time. "You knew about this?"

Spirit nodded. "If you'd been in a relationship that looked serious, I wasn't even supposed to deliver the letter. I was supposed to just cancel the contract. Your dad always wanted what was best for you, and your feelings always played a large part of his decisions."

"So what now?" Kid asked.

"That's simple," Stein spoke up. "Do you want to meet her or not?"

Kid hesitated a moment before asking, "Have either of you met her?"

Stein shrugged and shook his head, but Spirit nodded. "I have," the former death scythe answered.

"What is she like?" Kid didn't know why he bothered asking. His father said it would be a good match. But he just need something more, some sort of reassurance.

"She's nice," Spirit told him before he smirked. "And very pretty."

Kid fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"So," Stein spoke. "What's it going to be?"

Taking a breath, Kid was about to answer when he heard several people call out for him from the dining room. It wasn't long before Liz, Patty, and Maka appeared.

"There you guys are," Maka laughed. "What are you all doing in here?" Looking over the trio of men and taking in the mood of the room, she stopped and asked, "What's wrong?"

Kid wasn't sure what to say. It wasn't that something was wrong. Not exactly. It was just that he hadn't had time enough to let everything really sink in. "Nothing," he responded absently as he tried to clear his thoughts. When he he looked up, he only saw Maka standing behind the couch where her father and Stein sat.

That was when he felt the letter being plucked from his hands. He whipped around to see Liz and Patty leaning against the back of his couch as the read over the paper. "A letter from your dad?" Liz asked surprised. He would have answered, but she was already reading it. Kid watched as Liz's eyes grew wide before she turned to look at him. "Seriously?!" She cried.

"Apparently," Kid sighed

"Apparently what?" Maka asked not liking being out of what appeared to be a very serious loop.

"Kid's engaged!" Patty announced loudly.

Maka blinked, but apparently Patty had been loud enough to grab the attention of the rest of their friends in the dining room. It wasn't long before all of them were filing in to make sure that they'd heard correctly. His letter was passed around to several curious parties until he was finally able to grab it back.

"Now that all the Nosey Nellies know what's going on," Spirit glared at the younger generation that surrounded them, "do you know what your decision is going to be, Kid?"

Kid looked back down at the letter in his hands, and his eyes locked onto one phrase in particular. _Your dear old dad's last wish._ Shaking his head with a small smile, Kid thought, '_He did that on purpose.'_

Looking back up at not only Spirit and Stein but all of the curious faces of his friends, Kid took a deep breath and answered, "Make the arrangements. I'll meet with her."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor Soul Eater and make no money from these writings.

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Love On A Learning Curve

Chapter Two

Kid groaned as he smoothed his hair down for what was probably the tenth time in half as many minutes. Looking himself over in the mirror, he made a face and groaned again. He was full of nervous energy and didn't know how to get rid of it. He straightened his tie again, but it didn't make him feel any better since he knew that it had already been straight to begin with.

_'This is stupid,'_ he thought to himself. Why was he nervous? He was Lord Death. Not that it helped any. Thinking about his title only gave him the same weird feeling in his stomach that it always gave him. Lord Death was supposed to be his dad. He was just...Kid.

Catching himself in the process of smoothing his hair down yet again, Kid shoved his hands into his coat pockets. _'This is Liz's fault,'_ Kid thought sourly as he glanced at the clock and saw that he had another ten minutes before he needed to leave. Sitting down on the end of his bed, Kid tried to relax.

Liz had tried to set him up on blind dates in the past, and they hadn't exactly gone wonderfully. He'd been very busy in the last several years while trying to build a relationship with the witch community and integrate witch studies into the academy's curriculum. There was also the cleanup from the war with the kishin and taking over the mantel of Death and working around staff reassignments with the death scythes and really just a million other things. The fact was that he just didn't have much time to date. But on the rare occasion that he did go on a date, he'd been shocked. There were actually women who wanted to be with him for his title and money. He wasn't naive. He knew that such women existed. It was just strange to think that they would be after _him_.

Standing up, Kid checked himself in the mirror again. His black suit was lint-free, his white shirt was spotless and starched, his black tie was still straight, and his hair was still in place. He'd contemplated wearing his death robes and mask but had decided that it might have been too much. That seemed like more of a work thing, and this was a personal thing. Right? It had to do with his personal life, but a contract was involved. Did that make it business? His dad had arranged it. Did his dad's involvement make it personal? Was he doing it as Lord Death or just as Kid's father?

Kid pushed his hands into his hair and shook his head. He was positive that he was thinking about this _way_ too much. Dropping his hands back to his sides with a sigh, he looked up at the mirror again and groaned. He grabbed a comb and worked on smoothing his hair again. At least this time it needed it.

Once all of the strands were back in their proper places, Kid glanced to the clock again and felt simultaneous waves of anxiety and relief. It was time to leave. He was that much closer to meeting his potential bride. While part of him was definitely nervous, he was also relieved that he was that much closer to getting the meeting over with. Grabbing up his wallet and phone, items that were incredibly similar in size and weight, he place one in each of his front pockets. Confident that everything was in its place, Kid left his room and made his way downstairs to the main hall.

"Well look at you, Mr. Fancy Pants," Liz called out from where she and Patty sat on the couch waiting for him. "Got a hot date?"

"You know exactly where I'm going," Kid answered as he stopped to look at the sisters.

"Nuh-uh!" Patty argued. "We only know you're meeting your new girlfriend. You didn't tell us where."

Kid lifted an eyebrow as he replied flatly, "For good reason."

"He's afraid we'll follow him and crash his date, Patty," Liz explained with a grin. "You didn't tell anyone where you're having this little meeting, did you?"

"No, I didn't," Kid confirmed. "I want this first meeting to involve as few people as possible. If things go well, you'll meet her later. If not, well…" Kid shrugged not exactly sure what he wanted to say. It was almost as if he kept his friends from meeting this woman and things went badly, he could just pretend that it had never happened. But he knew that saying that out loud would sound bad.

"Well we won't follow you," Liz reassured. "I'm having a mani-pedi day. But I can't speak for anyone else. Like Black Star, for example."

Kid sighed. He was well aware the the assassin would do his best to spy on his meeting. "That's why I told him the meeting is next week," Kid explained as he strode towards the front door and stepped outside.

The last thing he heard before he shut the door behind him was Liz's call of, "Good call, Boss!"

Summoning Beelzebub, Kid hopped aboard the skateboard and took to the sky. Flying was quicker than rolling, and he always enjoyed looking out over his city. _His city_. The thought brought a smile to his lips. His father had founded Death City, but he had inherited it. Looking down on the white buildings and red roofs, he would never deny the pride and love that swelled in his chest. It was strange when he thought about it. He didn't know anywhere near all of his citizens, but he cared deeply for all of them and would gladly give his all to protect them.

Kid made his descent to the street below and rolled the last couple of blocks to the cafe where he was supposed to meet Spirit and this woman. His advisor had told him that he would pick her up from the airport and bring her to the meeting spot. He had also volunteered to stay with them through the meeting since he knew both of them and would be able to help move things along if conversation started to lag.

People waved at him as he rolled by, and he nodded in return. He briefly wondered, not for the first time, if he should find a new form of transportation. He was an adult now, not a teenager. But Beelzebub held a lot of memories for him and he could never quite talk himself into giving it up. As he approached the cafe he hopped off of the skateboard and watched as it disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The cafe was nice but more out of the way than most. He'd chosen it specifically because it wasn't one that his students and friends tended to frequent. Entering the establishment, Kid glanced around and saw that he was the first to arrive. He checked his watch and saw that he'd managed to arrive a few minutes early. When the hostess greeted him, he held up three fingers to signify the number in his expected party. He was lead to a quiet corner table where he could watch the door and settled into his seat.

While he waited, he ordered some tea and a small assortment of pastries. He then busied himself with arranging things in a way that put his OCD at ease. It was something small, but it brought comfort and a sense of peace to a situation where he felt very much out of his depth.

'_Calm down,'_ he told himself. '_This isn't some girl that Liz met at a shop or restaurant. This is someone that Father handpicked. I'll trust in his decision. I have no other prospects, and Father must have had a good reason to choose her._

Kid was drawn from his thoughts when the chime over the cafe's door rang. Looking up, he saw Spirit holding the door open for a young woman who smiled in thanks. Being the polite man that he was, Kid stood from his seat and watched as the two approached. He tried to glance over the woman as subtly as possible. The last thing he wanted was for her first impression of him to be that he was a creeper.

She was certainly pretty. Fair skin, black hair, and blue eyes. Her sideswept bangs threw off the symmetry of her hairstyle, but he dismissed it a moment later. '_To each their own,'_ he told himself. It had become something of a mantra over the years. He knew that others didn't have his hangups, so he made an effort to accept others as they were. But he had to stop the stupid grin that wanted to spread across his face when he realized that her face was perfectly symmetrical. Things were already off to a pleasant start as far as he was concerned. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad.

"Kid," Spirit greeted as they reached the table. "I thought you might beat us here." Gesturing to the woman on his left, he introduced, "Death the Kid, this is Kagome Higurashi. Kagome, this is Death the Kid, the current Lord Death."

Kagome smiled at the man in front of her. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she greeted him. She was just moving down into a bow when he extended his right hand. '_Right,'_ Kagome thought with a blink. '_America. It's handshakes here.'_ Straightening a little, she gripped Kid's hand for a light shake.

"Likewise," Kid responded. "Please, have a seat," he told them as he moved to pull Kagome's chair out for her. He pushed it back in under her as she sat, and she smiled up at him.

Kagome smoothed her white skirt under her and waited for Spirit and Kid to be seated. She still couldn't believe that she'd gone through with this. Sesshoumaru had originally worked out this marriage contract without her knowledge, and she'd be lying if she said that she'd been anything short of livid when she found out about it. Because, really, he was basically pawning her off.

Long ago, she'd been married to Inuyasha. Everything had been perfect. But then there was accident on one of his human nights. Sesshoumaru and Tenseiga hadn't be anywhere near their village, and despite Kagome's best efforts his injuries had been too severe. He'd passed away with about an hour left before sunrise. When the news had reached Sesshoumaru, he'd come to collect her and Rin. He'd explained that even though Inuyasha was an illegitimate son, they were still of the same pack. As his brother's widow, the responsibility of her life and well-being fell to him.

So she'd been under Sesshoumaru's care for many years. Neither of them had been very happy about the arrangement. He thought that she was loud and insufferable. She often responded by calling him frigid and inflexible. She had insisted more than once that she would be fine on her own, but his misplaced honor kept him from letting her leave his protection. And so, while she had originally been ready to refuse the contract outright, she had eventually realized that if she could at least get along with this man, it might be the chance that she needed to regain her freedom.

Looking back to the young man seated across from her, she felt a little bad. In a way she was just using him and this contract, but she was desperate at this point. And it wasn't like she wouldn't give the relationship a real try. It wasn't an ideal arrangement for either of them, but maybe they could make it work. "So," she spoke first. "Death the Kid, right?"

"Please, just call me Kid," he responded. "May I call you Kagome?"

"That's fine," Kagome nodded with a small smile.

"Well, isn't this nice," Spirit spoke up from where he sat between them.

Kagome rolled her eyes at the death scythe. She wanted to pick up the conversation again, meager as it had been, but Kagome found herself at a loss of what to say or ask. Any question she could come up with just sounded dumb, even in her head. But she was saved when Kid took over for her.

"What is it that you do, Kagome?" Kid asked as he flagged their waiter to request more tea for the table.

"My day job is working as a priestess," Kagome answered.

"By that answer, I assume that you have a secondary profession?" Kid continued to question.

"That's right," Kagome nodded with a smile. "My other job isn't all that different from what your meisters at the academy do."

"Really?" Kid asked in surprise. Glancing over Kagome once more, she still didn't strike him as a combatant.

"She doesn't look it, does she?" Spirit laughed unknowingly voicing Kid's thoughts. "She actually has a specialty that we could use at the academy. I've been working on setting up a new class for her to teach if she decides to stay."

When had Spirit found the time for that? And more over, why hadn't Kid noticed it? "What's this specialty?" Kid asked curiously.

"Demonology," Kagome answered with a smile that didn't quite fit the topic. "I've been hunting rogue demons that are a danger to humans for a while now. Sadly, the number of those demons went up after the incident with with the madness wave. Some just lost themselves and never came back."

"When you say demons, you're not talking about kishins or kishin eggs, are you?" Kid questioned.

"No," Kagome stated simply. She continued, "There are actual demons out there, and they were never human. There used to be a lot of them, then their numbers started to drop and they went into hiding to avoid being hunted. Recently their populations have been increasing again."

Beyond kishins, Kid hadn't been aware of other types of demons. Had his father been aware of them? Surely he had. But why hadn't he ever explained them or taught about them at the academy? "Are they dangerous?" The question came out before he could think about it. It had sounded rude, and he was just beginning to regret it when Kagome laughed.

"Yes and no," Kagome laughed before picking up her tea for a sip. "Some are good and some are bad. They have just as much of a chance of being evil as a human does. The problem is that there are lots of different types of demons, and depending on the type, they can have lots of different strengths and abilities. But when one turns, whether it's their own decision or not, they have the potential to cause a lot of damage."

"And that's where you come in," Kid stated more than asked.

Kagome nodded. "The powers I have make me sort of like a demon's natural enemy," she explained. "There aren't many people with these types of powers, and even fewer who are actually trained to use them. Because of that, I've been pretty busy these last few years." Kagome stared into her tea cup. Busy as she had been, the times that she went out on hunts were the only times that she was able to get out of Sesshoumaru's over-protective grasp. The way that he insisted on protecting her would have made her happy if she thought that he actually cared about her well-being instead of his honor as pack leader.

"That's enough about me and what I do though," Kagome spoke again as she looked back up at Kid. "Aside from what you do at the academy, what is being Lord Death like?"

"It's actually just a lot of monitoring," Kid answered. "I keep an eye on humans who have the potential to become kishin eggs and kishins. Once someone crosses a certain point, they're a job for one of our meisters to take care of. I'll occasionally go out on a job if it's required, but that doesn't happen very often. I mostly just run things from here."

"And what do you do for fun?" Kagome asked as she folded her hands in her lap.

Kid blinked a few times at the question. '_That's right,'_ he thought. '_We're supposed to be getting to know each, not just what we do.'_ Thinking about the question for a few moments, he answered, "I like to read. I also practice martial arts. And sometimes my friends and I get together and play basketball."

"That sounds like fun!" Kagome enthused. "I was never very good at basketball," she confessed.

"What about you? Kid asked. "What do you like to do in your spare time?"

"I like gardening," Kagome said with a smile. "I also like to read and cook."

Kids first thought was of how nice it would be to have a wife who was also a good cook. Realizing where his mind was going, he blushed and coughed lightly into his hand in attempt to hide it.

"So," Kagome drawled. "Any quirks I should know about?" She asked with a playful smile.

Beside them Spirit let out a bark of laughter. Upon receiving looks from the other two at the table, he quickly apologized and quieted down again, though he couldn't stop the occasional snicker that escaped his throat.

Kid watched as Kagome gave Spirit a strange look before turning her attention back to him, curiosity burning in her blue eyes. "Personally, I don't see it as being all that much of a problem," Kid started as he shot Spirit a glare. "But I have what might be called Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. I prefer to have things in my life arranged in perfect symmetry."

"Really?" Kagome asked in surprise. She hadn't expected a serious answer. But as she looked over Kid's impeccable appearance and the way things were arranged on the table, she began to laugh. It started as a small giggle that she tried to hide, but it eventually grew into a full laugh. "Me saying that I have to eat my meals one food at a time sounds a little silly now."

Kid tried to maintain his composure, but he soon found that Kagome's laughter was infectious. While he didn't laugh as fully as Kagome, he did chuckle deeply into his hand.

The two continued to talk and get to know each other for another two hours before deciding to call it a day. As they were starting to wrap things up, Spirit called for their attention. "From what I understand," he started slowly. "You'll have two more meetings similar to this one, and then you decide whether or not you want to make a go of it. I'll be along on those meetings too. Is that okay with you two?"

Kagome looked over to Kid and saw that he was looking at her in return. She'd had a good time. Better than she's hoped for or expected. "It's fine with me," she answered with a soft smile in Kid's direction.

"Me too," Kid agreed with a nod.

"Okay then!" Spirit said cheerfully as he clapped his hands together. "Kagome, how long are you in town?"

"As long as I'm needed," Kagome answered with a small shrug. "I didn't know if I'd be going back sooner or later or not at all, so I thought I'd just buy a ticket whenever I needed it."

"Great," Spirit nodded. "I'll set up the next meeting and let you both know the time and place."

Once their bill was paid and the trio made their way outside, Kid turned to Kagome and asked, "Where are you staying while you're here?"

"Oh, I have a room at a hotel here in the city," Kagome answered. "Spirit is taking me there when we leave here."

Kid was about to ask which hotel when a voice called out from across the street. "Spirit! Throw me the car keys! It's hot in here!"

All three turned to look at the car parked across the street. Leaning out of the back seat's window was a man with dark green eyes and fiery hair pulled back into a short ponytail. Opening his mouth to ask about the man, Kagome beat him to the punch as she marched across the street shouting.

"Shippou!" She yelled at the man. "What are you still doing in the car? I told you to go explore the city or something! We're in the desert. You can't just sit in a car for hours! Are you crazy?!"

"I didn't wanna explore the city," Shippou pouted. "I wanted to take a nap in the car, but it was too hot." He ignored her as she began her tirade again and instead glanced around her to size up Kid. "Is that the guy?" He asked curiously.

Kagome tightened a fist, seriously contemplating smacking the demon across the head, but instead she sighed and tiredly introduced, "Kid, this is my hunting partner, Shippou. Shippou, this is Death the Kid."

The two men stared at each other for a moment before they each lifted a hand in greeting and let their interaction drop there.

Kid watched as Kagome began to lecture Shippou again and saw an opportunity for something he'd been thinking about since he'd met the woman. Focusing on Kagome, he activated his Soul Perception and examined her soul. His father had made it seem like she was an incredibly special person and that was the reason he'd chosen her. But when the small orb became visible to his eyes, he frowned. She had the soul of a normal human; small, round, and light blue.

He watched for a moment more as Kagome stood there, hands on her hips and shoulders squared, before he turned to Spirit and spoke softly, "I have a question."

"Hm?" Spirit hummed as he turned his attention to his boss. "What's that?"

"Why _her_?" He asked. "Why did Father specifically choose her for me? She seems very nice, but surely he had a reason."

Spirit visibly drew back a little in surprise at the question. "He didn't explain in his letter?"

Kid shook his head. "He only said that he thought that she would be a good match for me."

Spirit looked at Kid for a long moment before he smiled and looked back up to Kagome. "I think one of the big reasons that he chose her is because she's immortal."

Kid's head whipped over to look at Kagome before looking back to Spirit. "What?" He asked unbelieving of what he'd been told. He checked her soul again and was positive that it was a normal, human soul.

"Hard to believe, huh?" Spirit laughed. "But I've seen the pictures and paintings. She's hardly aged a day in over five hundred years. She's just about as immortal as you are."

Kid looked back across the street to his potential future bride. Their first meeting had gone very well. She seemed to be kind and smart and funny. She was pretty and about as symmetrical as he could ask for. They seemed to get along well and were planning on having a second meeting. But despite all of that, Kid suddenly felt incredibly out of his depth again. His dad had told him that he would soon stop aging, but he was still only twenty-five. He seriously wondered how he was going to build a relationship with someone so much older than him. Not so much because of the age difference, but because of the difference in their life experience.

'_Will this really be able to work?'_ He wondered to himself as Kagome finally turned away from her partner, caught his eye, and smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor Soul Eater and make no money from these writings.

* * *

Love On A Learning Curve

Chapter Three

A week after their first meeting found Kagome brushing her hair in her hotel room. Shippou was reclined back on her bed as he watched her. "So your second meeting is today, huh?" He asked.

"Yep," Kagome told him as she pulled the brush through her long hair again.

"When am I gonna get to meet this guy?" Shippou pouted. "I'm your partner, your friend. You practically raised me, so we're as good as family! This guy needs my stamp of approval."

Kagome rolled her eyes at the fox demon before she made eye contact with him in the mirror. "You've already met him, remember?"

"That doesn't count!" He argued. "You only introduced us. I didn't actually get a chance to talk to him."

"And whose fault is that?" Kagome questioned. "I introduced you and all you did was wave. Besides, he doesn't need your "stamp of approval." Sure, it's important to me that the two of you don't hate each other, but he only needs _my_ approval for me to marry him."

"And Sesshoumaru's," Shippou mumbled, but he jumped a little when Kagome heavily set her brush down on the vanity.

"I'm leaving," Kagome announced. "I'm going to be late." With that, she stood and made her way to the door.

Shippou sighed as guilt settled in his stomach for what he'd said. "Kagome, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't think about it before I said it."

"It's okay, Ship," Kagome smiled back at her friend sadly. "But I really do need to get going. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, later," Shippou waved as he watched her leave. "Damn it," he whispered into the empty room after the door shut behind his partner. Honestly, he should have known better. Sesshoumaru had become something of a taboo subject around Kagome.

As a fellow canine, he could understand where Sesshoumaru stood with his need to protect those that he saw as part of his pack. The dog demon had just gone about it in the wrong way. They may be able to take humanoid forms, but when it came down to it, the animalistic demons like he and Sesshoumaru had instincts that ran deep and could be near impossible to ignore. They might be able to reason them out with words like "honor" and "duty" and the like, but when it came right down to it, they didn't have a whole lot of choice in it. The trouble with Kagome coming under Sesshoumaru's care had been in their conflicting personalities. Kagome, being from a different time with different values, had been independent and stubborn, and Sesshoumaru, being from a time when most women were more meek and obedient, hadn't known how to handle her. He was an aristocrat and a fearsome fighter. He was very used to people doing what he told them and punishing them severely if they didn't listen. And since Kagome was one of the few people who could retaliate against him in a dangerous or even fatal way, corporal punishment was out.

In the end, the demon lord had gone with the only option that he saw left open to him. He locked Kagome away inside the walls of his father's castle, assigned two guards to her, and ignored any and all of her protests.

As Shippou had gotten older and began to better understand where each of them were coming from, he tried to mediate between them the best that he could, but the damage had already been done. Sesshoumaru had long ago stopped listening to Kagome's arguments, and Kagome has started resenting him for it. So while he'd been against this whole arranged marriage business, he would support Kagome in it. He knew that she'd rather be in a relationship with someone she loved and who loved her in return, but the past several centuries had been hard on her. He wasn't about to fault her for seizing an opportunity to change that.

Sighing, Shippou pushed himself off of the bed and pulled his shoes on. Date or not, Kagome was his best friend and partner. Until he was completely satisfied with this guy that Sesshoumaru had arranged for her to marry, he was going to keep watching her back.

* * *

Kagome laughed as she and Kid wandered the streets of Death City. He was showing her around the desert town and along the way had started pointing out different locations where he had memories with his friends and telling her the stories that went along. She had to admit that she really liked Death City. Being in the desert, it was sunny and hot. But more than that, she liked the aesthetic. The cobblestone streets. The white walls with the red roofs that made other colors of the city - flowers in planters, colored glass in storefronts, street art - much more pronounced and vivid. It wasn't hard to picture herself living there and being very happy.

They were just passing by a small flower shop when Kid slowed down. Kagome was pulled to a stop as well since she'd had one arm looped through his as he showed her around - a gesture on his part that she found very sweet and more than a little charming - and she looked up at him in question. The last time they met, she'd been wearing a pair of wedge heels, but in flats she realized just how much taller he was since she only came up to about his shoulder.

"Didn't you say that you liked gardening?" He asked as he turned from looking at the shop to look at her. When she nodded, he continued, "What's your favorite flower?"

Kagome smiled at the question before answering, "Carnations."

Letting go of her arm for a moment, Kid stepped up to speak with the woman arranging a few of the flowers on display. Kagome watched as he handed over some money and went about carefully picking what he probably saw as just the right one, and she was curious about which color he would choose. It took a few minutes, but it didn't bother her. Instead of finding it annoying, she was trying not to be too amused at how closely he was examining each flower. When he finally returned to her side, he had a perfect white carnation in hand. Extending it towards her without a word, he waited for her reaction.

Kagome took the offered flower and couldn't stop the wide smile that spread across her face. Her cheeks were warm, but she wasn't sure if it was from the sun or the small flutter in her stomach. The gesture was sweet and the flower was lovely. It was little things, like with the flower, that reminded her that they were essentially on a date. They weren't _just_ new friends. They were seeing if the potential for a successful marriage was there. And so far, Kid seemed to be putting forth a real effort. The small gestures, offering his arm, opening her doors, buying her favorite flower, were convincing her more and more that she should stay and follow through with the contract.

But then that little tug of guilt would come back. Kid was trying, genuinely _trying_, to make their meeting more like a date to see what an actual relationship would be like. And while she wasn't _not_ trying, Kagome still felt like she was holding them back. She didn't feel like she was being completely truthful with him, and it was eating away at her conscience. She thought that she'd been desperate enough to get out from under Sesshoumaru's watch that she would do anything, but she was starting to rethink that. Kid was nice. She didn't want to essentially trick him into marrying her only to find out certain details about her afterwards. No matter how badly she wanted to stay, she didn't think that she could do that to someone it turned out she actually liked. Now it was just a matter of finding the right time to talk with him.

As Kid offered her his arm again, the two resumed their tour of the city, doing their best to ignore the aww's and coo's coming from Spirit who followed several feet behind them commenting on how "kids grow up so fast."

* * *

Crouched on the edge of a rooftop, Black Start watched Kid as he walked with a woman he didn't know and laughed at something that he couldn't hear. Kid had thrown him off the previous week, but Black Star had found him this time. Granted, the only reason he knew that Kid was with his new girlfriend was because he checked at the Academy and they told him that Kid would be gone all day. It had taken a while to track him down, but now it was time to spy.

Kid hadn't told any of them anything about this girl, and he was curious, damn it! Also concerned for his friend who'd been set up to marry someone he'd never met before, but mostly curious. Well, at least she was pretty from what he could see.

When the couple rounded a corner and wandered out of his view, Black Star stood and was about to follow after them but drew up short. There was someone else on the roof opposite him. They were just standing on the corner of the building, hands in their pockets, watching the same duo that Black Star had been following. "Hey-!" Black Star called out only to cover his mouth a second later. It wouldn't do for Kid to find out that he'd been stalking them. "Hey," he called out to the other man at a more even volume. "What're you doing?"

When the man turned to look at him, Black Star was able to get a better look at him. Wild red hair hung down to his shoulders with only part of it pulled up out of his face. Tattoos - some sort of writing that Black Star couldn't read but that looked Japanese - ran down his arms from under the sleeves of his t-shirt all the way down to his wrists. The guy was also tall. But what really threw Black Star off was that he had a pair of shoes hanging around his neck, tied together by the laces.

Shippou looked over the young man that had called out to him before he turned back to watch Kagome and answered, "Same thing as you, probably." He had to hand it to the human; the other guy was good. Shippou had been on his corner for a while, but he never heard the other man arrive. He only noticed him when the wind carried his scent over. He did a pretty good job blending in for someone with blue hair.

Black Star jumped over to the other roof before stopping on the ledge beside the redhead. From this new position, he was able to see Kid and his date. The two of them stood there in silence for a while before Black Start blurted out, "You with her?"

"Yeah," Shippou answered as he glanced at the shorter man from the corner of his eye. "And you're one of his friends, right?" He asked as he nodded his head towards the two people below them.

"Yeah," Black Star nodded, but before he could say anything else, the other guy started speaking again.

"What's he like?"

"Kid?" Black Star asked, a little surprised by the question. Shrugging he said, "He's a good guy. Kinda crazy, but he's a good friend. What about her?"

Shippou snorted. "A little moody, but you'll have a hard time finding someone who doesn't like her."

Black Star tried to subtly get a feel for the guy next to him, but his eyes widened slightly when the guy jumped to the next rooftop and landed without making a sound. "Hey," he started. "Who are you?"

"Shippou. You?"

"Black Star," the blue haired meister answered. "And that's not what I meant! _What_ are you?"

Shippou gave the other man another once over, more carefully this time. Black Star was shorter than he was, but he was powerfully built and could probably pack a punch. Shippou also didn't know if or for how long he and Kagome would be staying, and he didn't want to give too much away until things seemed more permanent. "Demon hunter," he finally told him.

Feeling his muscles tighten in excitement, Black Star grinned. Demons? Like Kishins? He glanced down to Kid and his date in the street below and hesitated for only a second before looking back up to Shippou and asking, "Wanna spar?" He didn't have Tsubaki with him, but the Shippou didn't look armed either, and he was curious about how strong a "demon hunter" would be.

Shippou watched Kagome, unsure on if he should leave her or not, but Kid didn't seem like he posed her any sort of danger. Expanding his senses some, Shippou sniffed the air and felt for any malicious auras and came up empty. He smirked as he looked back up at Black Star. "Lead the way."

A second later, both men disappeared from their respective perches in search of an area that wouldn't have a lot of collateral damage.

* * *

The sun was setting, and Kid had brought her to a spot that overlooked the city. As she leaned with her elbows propped against the wall that acted as the area's guardrail, Kagome looked from the flower still in her hands to Kid who stood beside her, leaning on the wall in a similar fashion. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Spirit several feet behind them, barely paying them any attention. She bit her lip. Even if it seemed like he wasn't really focused on them, she would rather the coming conversation be just between the two of them. Turning around slightly, Kagome called out, "Hey, Spirit." When she had the man's attention, she continued, "Could we have a little time alone? There's something private I want to talk about with Kid."

Kid was a little surprised at Kagome's request, and he wondered what she would want to talk about without Spirit around. They'd had a good day together, but there had been moments where Kagome had seemed a little tense. Wanting to clear the air of any potential problems, he reassured the death scythe, "I'll make sure she gets back to her hotel."

For his part, Spirit almost hesitated but decided against it in the end. He was really only tagging along in case they ran into any problems, but they'd been just fine without him all through the day already. They were both adults, after all. If they wanted to be alone, he didn't have a problem with it. "Okay," he said as he pushed off of the tree he'd been leaning against. "Call me later, Kid." With that he made his way down the street but made sure to call out a "Be good, you two!" over his shoulder.

Kagome shook her head at the redhead before looking back out over the city as the shadows deepened. She knew that Kid was watching her, waiting for her to say something, but she wasn't sure where to start. Spinning the carnation's stem between her fingers, she finally took a deep breath and sighed before asking, "Aside from what _I've_ told you...what do you know about me?"

'_Oh,'_ Kid thought as he watched Kagome. She was deliberately not looking at him, and he wondered just how nervous she was. He had a pretty good idea what she was talking about, though. Looking for a way to phrase his answer, he eventually said, "You're older than you look."

Kagome laughed. It was more the laugh of someone caught off guard than someone who was genuinely amused, but at least she didn't seem offended. "That one way to put it," she told him as she finally turned to look at him. "Does that bother you?"

"Honestly?" When he saw Kagome nod, he sighed a little before answering. "Not really. I'm not bothered by it so much as a little intimidated." He saw her blink at him in surprise and he tried to explain, feeling like a little kid. "Not by your age," he quickly clarified. "I'll live for a long time too, but right now I'm only twenty-five. I don't have the life experience you do, so part of me wonders why you would want to marry someone who you not only just met but who must seem like a kid to you."

"Despite your name," Kagome smiled, "I don't see you as a kid. I didn't know you when you were younger. I only know you as an adult. I may have lived longer and through more, but that really doesn't matter as much as you'd think." Her mind drifted to Inuyasha who had been much older than she was when they were married, and it never made a difference to them back then. But that lead her to a new question. "So is my age the only thing you were told about?"

"Is there more?" Kid asked. When Kagome frowned and looked away again, he tried to correct himself. "No, it's...that's fine. It's why we're having these meetings; to learn more about each other."

"This might be different," Kagome told him quietly. "Before I say anything else, I want you to know something. I'm sorry." Kid gave her an odd look before she continued, "I wanted to get all of this out before things went too far. I'm sorry because I hadn't planned on saying anything, but I felt like I was lying. You seem like a really nice person and I don't want to lie to you. So if you decide to call things off after this, no hard feelings, okay?"

Unsure of what else to say, Kid said "Okay" and waited for her to continue.

"I'm technically a widow," Kagome told him. She watched his initial shock quickly fade into curiosity before explaining, "I was married about five hundred years ago. I won't go into details about it, but we were in love and we were happy. But then there was an accident and he died and I came into the care of his brother." Pausing for a deep breath to calm her rolling stomach, Kagome continued, "His brother is a demon lord in Japan. A dog demon, actually. And the thing about demons is that if they have an animal side, they usually have similarities to the animal. When I married Inuyasha, I became part of Sesshoumaru's pack."

She stopped to make sure that Kid was still following along, and when he nodded that he was still with her, she spoke again, "So when Inuyasha died, Sesshoumaru saw it as his responsibility to take care of me. The problem with that was that we never really got along."

"And he's been taking care of you ever since then?" Kid asked.

"I don't _need_ anyone to take care of me," Kagome ground out before she could catch herself. "Sorry," she apologized. "Sorry. That's my issue with him, not you. But yeah, pretty much. But he took it a little too far. It was like being put in a very well decorated prison. And then he told me about this marriage contract," she sighed at just the memory of that particular fight. "At first, I told him no and refused, but then I thought about it a little more. This is the part that I feel really bad about..."

Looking into Kid's yellow eyes, she closed her eyes, ashamed of what she'd been willing to do to him when she first arrived. "I agreed to come here and meet you so that I could get away from Sesshoumaru, hopefully for good. I was ready to marry you as long as I didn't absolutely despise you. I was going to use you."

Kid was quiet for several seconds as he looked out over the city and watched the streetlights start blinking to life. "And now?"

"And now I feel like a terrible person," Kagome laughed as she covered her eyes with one hand. Shaking her head, she lowered her hand again and said, "I feel like a terrible person now because after getting to know you some, I actually like you. A lot more than I ever expected. And that's why I had to tell you. You've been so nice and polite and just _great_ and I couldn't do that to you." Swallowing around the lump in her throat and hoping that he wasn't too angry, she finished, "So while I really hope you won't, if you want to call this off, I'll understand. This probably isn't the best inspiration to trust me after this."

Kagome waited and Kid was silent for several long minutes. They stood quietly beside each other, watching the sun finish disappearing beyond the horizon, and Kagome grew more anxious about what he'd eventually say by the second. When he finally spoke again, she actually jumped a little.

"What do you want to do for our last date before our decision?"

"...What?"

Knowing that she was probably confused about the meaning behind his question rather than the question itself, he decided to elaborate. "I'm not calling things off. Not yet, anyway."

"That's great," Kagome said in confused relief. "But _why_?"

Kid shrugged a little as he said, "You apologized. You were honest and told me everything. It was a plan you made before we met. The important thing is that you changed your mind, right?"

Kagome watched Kid for a moment to make sure that he was really serious before she relaxed, genuinely relieved, and smiled. "Yeah."

"So what should our third date be?" Kid asked again.

"Well," Kagome thought for a second before suggesting, "since you showed me your city and shared things about yourself today, what if I cook dinner for you tomorrow? I can tell you more about myself and my past."

Part of him hesitated at the thought of Kagome coming to his home where Liz and Patty would be, but at the rate they were going, Kagome was bound to meet them eventually. "That sounds great," Kid agreed with a small smile. "But it's getting dark. I should walk you back to your hotel for tonight.

Kagome nodded in agreement and took his arm again when it was offered. As they walked down the streets, Kagome pointed out, "We were being followed earlier, you know."

"It was Black Star," Kid sighed. He always knew there was a chance that Black Star would find them.

"And Shippou," Kagome added with a small smile. She would have to talk to the fox about privacy later.

* * *

It was about an hour after Kid had dropped her off at her hotel, time enough for her to shower and wash her face, before Shippou made his way back to the hotel room. When she heard the door shut, she made her way out of the bathroom, ready to ask where he'd been only to stop at the sight of her friend. He was covered in scrapes, small cuts, and had more than a couple of bruises forming.

Struck speechless for a moment, when she finally found her words, Kagome asked, "What in the world happened to you?"

Grinning like the big kid that he more-or-less was, Shippou answered, "I think I made a new friend."


End file.
